Seventieth World Health Assembly opens today

22-05-2017

The Seventieth World Health Assembly opens in Geneva, Switzerland, at 9:30 am on Monday 22 May 2017. It will close on Wednesday 31 May. Delegations from all 194 WHO Member States, including the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region, will meet to discuss, review progress and agree on action regarding global health issues.

Countries will vote on a new WHO Director-General, who will take up their duties on 1 July 2017. They will also discuss budgetary issues and developments regarding organizational reform.

The plenary proceedings will be webcast live, and discussions will continue on social media using #WHA70.Agenda topics of special interest for the European Region include:

health emergencies, including WHO’s response in severe, large-scale emergencies, research and development for potentially epidemic diseases, and health workforce coordination in emergencies;

antimicrobial resistance, including an update on the implementation of the WHO Global action plan on antimicrobial resistance, agreed in 2015, and a proposed resolution on improving the prevention, diagnosis and clinical management of sepsis;

implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) in the decade since they entered into force for most State Parties, and the work of the emergency and review committees convened by the Director-General;

human resources for health and implementation of the outcomes of the United Nations’ High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth;

the global shortage of, and access to, medicines and vaccines;

refugee and migrant health, including a draft framework of priorities and guiding principles to promote the health of refugees and migrants;

a proposed global action plan on the public health response to dementia;

an implementation plan following the report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity;

a proposed resolution relating to the prevention of deafness and hearing loss; and

a report on progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.